Underground sewage tank plan 'threatens our café'
BBCA café owner fears her business may not survive when a nearby car park has to close for up to a year to allow for the construction of a large underground sewage storage tank.
Kath Clarke, who helps her daughter run the Plumcake Café which has been a fixture of Bramhall shopping precinct in Stockport for 12 years, said: "If they shut the car park for 12 months, then we'll probably close, which is heartbreaking."
Water firm United Utilities (UU) said: "There are several other car parks within a few minutes' walk and we want to be a good neighbour when we make these improvements."
But Ms Clarke, 84, said: "We're a community café and a lot of our customers are old, so they can't walk distances."
Ms Clarke added: "We've worked very hard on this business and I imagine we will definitely close."
Meena Sheth, who has run the Greetings gift shop in Bramhall shopping precinct for 17 years, said: "The footfall is going to drop and it's obviously a bit of a worry to think about what it's going to be like for a whole year."
The 63-year-old small business owner added: "I know the work has to be done but I expect my takings to drop by 50%."
UU said it was investing £80m in a series of storage tanks in Stockport to reduce the number of times that storm overflows have to operate during periods of heavy rain.
Its aim is to reduce sewage spills into the Micker Brook and the River Mersey.
Work is under way on an underground storage tank at Cheadle Golf Club.
Two will be built in Bramhall - including the one next to the shopping precinct - and a further one will be constructed at Hope Street, near Stockport town centre.
Several storm tanks will also be built at Stockport wastewater treatment works in Cheadle Heath.
Jim Hall, who has run a sportswear shop in Bramhall since 1978, said: "The village is struggling to a certain degree because people have big mortgages and a lot of the very wealthy people have moved out to places like Alderley Edge."
The 80-year-old businessman added: "We rely on passing trade and closing the car park in that precinct is a dreadful move."
UU's wastewater director Chris Borradaile said: "We don't take this decision lightly and we've explored lots of different options but from an environmental point of view, this location is where we need to build this tank.
"The longer-term objective is that this will provide a great environmental improvement for the community in the area."
Work on the storage tank next to Bramhall shopping precinct is due to start in January.
